Saturday, February 12, 2022

Is the improved attitude about the virus a boon for travel in February 2022?

 
According to the New York Times the "endemic" still is not a return to normal when it comes to travel both domestically or internationally.   And this means, it's still a day by day decision, and making plans in advance means insuring that your trip can be cancelled in the event travel once more becomes an impossibility when the "leader" of the nation you want to visit decides to close the borders and limit flights in and out.  This also applies to traveling within the USA, any individual "Governor" still can exercise an executive order to close the borders of that state. 
I could find nothing else online that discusses the "endemic" of this virus that has destroyed the world's most enjoyable pursuit, travel.  If I were to offer a prediction, I have none. 
In the USA the coming fall elections will determine whether the return to normalcy for all activities is effected.  In France, the upcoming French elections will determine what happens in France as well, the coming international situation as regards the nation of Russia and Ukraine can also affect international travel.  
Buying travel insurance isn't a cure all either, certain world events are often not insurable.   
Whether uncertainty affects the "endemic" or war and peace among the nations of the world, travel is certainly affected and whatever is booked must booked wit the intention of a cancellation, and it behooves every traveler to ask the all important question: is my money returnable if I cancel?  
I advise against traveling internationally unless you can book a flight on a private 24/7 charter jet and then if your plans are more than a few days in advance, you have to hope you will be able to enter the country you wish to visit and aren't mandated into quarantine regardless of your vaccination status. 
Domestic travel should be carefully considered for all the reasons as noted above, nevertheless, in the USA, the state of Florida remains a destination that can be booked without worry about determining whether the "endemic" means a return to normalcy.  
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thursday, January 20, 2022

What is the state of travel in 2022?

 
Despite the "TRAVEL" section produced by the venerable "grey lady" New York Times which is a "worldwide" examination of "eco-friendly climate & green" destination perfections with no indication as to whether "you" or "I" nobody plain folks person can travel there, I can't answer this most basic question about the "state of travel in 2022."  
Sadly I have to cast doubt on whether the global world's established news media want to let go of the "headline" grabbing COVID 19 latest variants, insofar as reporting on the spread of the latest version of this virus, and of course the "deaths" that many in the major news media don't mention.  As most of the persons who examine beyond "headlines" know, currently, COVID 19  with its many replications dogs large BMI individuals and those who have been kept alive due to the drugs they need to stay alive, which puts them at undue risk for catching this virus.
It doesn't  matter when you are okay re BMI with no morbidity, because "status" is what you lack. 
However, in some major Western European nations there is an acknowledgment that masks, restrictions of social distancing & even the vaccines don't help—the UK has just tossed away the "mask" mandate, but other nations are only hardening their demands for the so far 2 shots vaccine to travel into their country plus need for a vaccination card to prove immune status to eat and do all the things tourists love to do, despite that the current variant has afflicted the "double" vaxxed and the "booster" vaxxed. 
The question of travel into the nations of the world, even into some states in the US depends on the "status" of the individual who wants to get into that nation or state—the politicians and diplomats along with their staffs, the major news media staff and journalists are "immune" from any restrictions or investigation into their "vaccine status."  Those "out of the ordinary" wealthy persons can evade any "authority" and they travel where and when they please. 
I can say the ordinary traveler will remain uncertain about the "status of travel in 2022."   
Your travel depends upon whether you can go anywhere domestically or to another nation if you cannot prove your vaccine status which currently requires 2 shots, but this may change depending on far too many "powerful" elected authorities, who seem to be able to use their "rules"  for their benefit, but not for the plain folks, like you and I.
 
 

 

Wednesday, November 24, 2021

Why is a higher price "leisure travel" airline ticket the result of the "business travel" slowdown?

 
Due to the pandemic, the business travel slowdown is expected to be longer lasting than originally thought, and in the meanwhile, get prepared to spend more money to fly anywhere, and I mean lots more money.  
Looks like this is the end of the need to visit with and recruit more customers in person, yet it's been determined that even the process of government can benefit with a greater efficiency at less cost with Zoom meetings.   
And as well, businesses have found that customers are happy with a Zoom one to one. 
 
The era of the cattle car flights with no room to sit comfortably is essentially over.
 Airlines are buying more wide body airlines for the luxury market, more room for all passengers, at a big price.  And the same airlines are buying wide body supersonic planes to jet to London faster than the Concorde ever did.  The price is expected to be $2,500 per ticket one-way.  
Now, profit conscious airlines are stripping the price of the airline ticket into what is essentially dividing the ticket as though the worth is an eights of an inch equivalent.   
The low and middle income will be yelling ouch when they have to pay the "surcharge" price of the fuel that a climate conscious world is deliberately limiting, as they have for the past year, when they have paid extra for food, drinks, and find their luggage can also incur extra cost.    
Of course,  the rich and well connected, whomever they may be, are not suffering.
As well, the middle and lower classes can still enjoy the travel gurus present their popular TV programs, also the TV chef gurus like Lydia.  
But if you are a global climate emergency zealot, keep in mind, TV travel gurus aren't participating in the climate change emergency by practicing less and eventually no dependence on fossil fuel directives.  Many of them continue to fly in a private plane at the courtesy of the destination they are visiting.  Even the cooking show gurus may not be saving the world from fossil fuels.  Not when it comes to choosing to fly in comfort, versus not flying and not filming any more of their cooking shows.  Some still choose to fly on planes that burn up fossil fuel, but they tout the superior small organic farm producers, usually  in a second world country aiming to claim fame with the ethnic dishes.
 
 You don't have to envy the wealthiest in your community for enjoying in person travel all over the world in comfort, not even when they are also buying the perfect food ingredients your favorite TV chef cooks. 
 If you can afford cable or dish or a satellite, you can still arm chair travel with your favorite TV travel guru, but there are no more crowded airports with those pesky security pat downs.  And you can add to your recipe collection with your favorite TV cooking gurus, even if you have to skimp and substitute when you purchase the ingredients needed to produce the perfect food.